NOAA/NCDC shows near normal temperature in 2009

From Anthony Watts' Wattsuowiththat:
If we just look at the month of December, the USA still looks cooler than normal or near normal for the most part, with the southeast USA being the exception:

And from the NOAA
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20090108_decemberstats.html

NOAA: 2008 Temperature for U.S. Near Average, was Coldest Since 1997; Below Average for December
For 2008, the average temperature of 53.0 degrees F was 0.2 degree above the 20th Century average.
The average December 2008 temperature of 32.5 degrees F was 0.9 degree below the 20th Century average.